


Unexpectations

by despicablewho



Category: Broadchurch, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: F/M, Spoilers for Broadchurch
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-04-06
Updated: 2015-07-19
Packaged: 2018-03-21 07:04:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 14,423
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3682578
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/despicablewho/pseuds/despicablewho
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Even after all these years, it was such an ordinary sight that she nearly didn’t notice it. As she was turning away, letting Alec pull her by the hand, she almost completely ignored the landmark that was nestled in the back of the alley behind the police station, fading and forgotten. *Spoilers for Broadchurch Series 1 and 2*</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She could tell by the look in her parents’ eyes what was coming, and she welcomed it. She was tired of being depressed; it didn’t suit her. She had done her mourning and she was ready to do something new.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been mulling this around in my mind since before Broadchurch Season 2 aired and I've finally gotten enough of it finished to consider it worth sharing. It starts with a lot of your typical Rose/Hardy tropes: Rose can't get back to the Prime Universe, Rose goes to Broadchurch for her own good, Rose meets cheerful neighbor Ellie Miller, etc. Hopefully I've made it my own. Also, this is the first time I've ever posted something to AO3, so you may have to bare with me while I figure out the mechanics of the site. Enjoy!

They went over the maps one more time, Jake talking quickly in his low, tactical voice. “Shane and I secure the back of the building. Ryan, Mark, and David will flank the sides. Rose and Mickey, you’ll enter the front and secure the Helmium supply. The Helmians are heavy sleepers, so this should go without a hitch. In and out, 10 minutes, and we’ll meet back here. Any questions?”

The team shook their heads in unison, taking a final glance at the map. Jake spoke into his wristwatch. “Torchwood One, this is Alpha Team. The mission is a go, do you copy? Over.”

“Alpha Team, this is Torchwood One. We are monitoring and will be ready to pull you out via transmat at your orders. Over,” came the reply from the communicator.

“Okay, team, you heard ‘em. See you on the flipside.”

Jake and Shane left the camp first in order to get to the rear of the Helmic Antiquity Shop in the middle of the city. Two minutes later, the second team followed. Rose and Mickey stayed behind, waiting for the all-clear to continue.

Rose studied the map for the millionth time, using her finger to follow the route to their target: this universe’s last known supply of Helmium, a metal with telepathic properties that might finally, _finally_ be the last piece of the puzzle.

Their wristwatches crackled. “Third Unit, First and Second Units are in place. Proceed with caution. Over.”

“Rose, you ready?” Mickey asked softly, touching her shoulder gently.

Rose grinned at him, her tongue peeking through her teeth. “Born ready, wasn’ I?”

Mickey beamed back, his mouth upturning in a lopsided smirk. He was indescribably glad to see her tongue-touched grin, a rarity these days. Rose was tough; there wasn’t a single person in this universe or the next who could deny that. But she’d been struggling. The past four years had been hard on her, and while she’d kept her chin up and taken everything in stride, she hadn’t been the same.

“Third Unit on the move, over.” Mickey replied into his watch. He and Rose grabbed their guns and slinked out of the camp.

They made their way out of the trees and down the dimly-lit alley to the front of the house, nodding at Mark as they passed. Mickey set his gun down and pulled a small silver device out of his pocket. He covered the door’s lock with the device and waited for a few seconds until he heard a soft ‘click’. He put the device back in his pocket, grabbed his gun, and nodded at Rose. She nodded back, and he slowly opened the door.

Mickey entered first, his gun darting around the room to check for in habitants. The small torches strapped under the barrel of the guns provided just enough light to not run into anything.

“Clear,” he whispered, and Rose followed him in. The first floor of the house made up the shop: various types of bookshelves lined the walls and more were set up in the center of the room, all packed with knick knacks.

Rose carefully navigated around the shelves and into the next room, following the map in her brain. She quickly cleared the room and turned the corner. She found herself facing a door, as expected. After trying the handle, she moved out of the way and let Mickey unlock it with the Torchwood device. He let her go through the door first, swiftly climbing down the stairs to clear the area. He followed quietly.

Rose made a beeline for a small case at the back of the basement, encircled by a dull red glow.

“Micks,” Rose breathed, staring into the glass case at the small pile of brown-gold metal. “There it is.”

Mickey followed her over to the case and set his gun down, rummaging through his pockets for the right gadget to disable to security system.

Finally, he pulled out a small box with mirrored surfaces. He carefully began to open the box as Rose watched him, her breath caught in her throat.

Without warning, the room filled with light. Rose immediately aimed her gun at the top of the stairs. Standing there was a Helmic man. He was vaguely humanoid, but bigger, with pale green skin. The man growled.

“Filthy space pirates!” he screamed. “I knew that you’d come for the metal! Get away!”

“Sir, please remain calm,” Rose announced, keeping her gun trained on him. “We’re just going to take the Helmium and be on our way. No one needs to get hurt.”

The man didn’t move from the top of the stairs, but his eyes grew dark. “Nobody’s getting my damn Helmium. If I can’t have it, nobody can!” Rose saw him pull something small out of his pocket. “I’ll blow it up before I’ll let you dirty pirates have it!”

That’s when she figured out that what he was holding was a button. Rose glanced back at the case, and it dawned on her that the red halo was more than just an alarm. “Mickey, get away from there,” she shouted. She straightened her shoulders and retrained her gun on the man. She wasn’t going to lose this, not when she was so close. “Drop it, or I shoot,” she hissed.

Without hesitation, the man pressed the button and started to run down the stairs, rushing at her. She could hear the small explosion and feel the rush of heat behind her. Panic spread through her. Rose shot twice, letting out a cry of anguish. The man fell down the rest of the stairs, a manic look in his eyes.

What Rose and Mickey had failed to notice were the two couches against the wall of the basement, where three smaller Helmians had just started to stir. Sensing the movement and still in attack mode, she turned and shot, too far gone to hear Mickey’s cries of, “Rose, wait! No!”

Numbly, she registered the three small bodies laying across the room. Children. There were bags of snacks littered on their floor, as if they’d been having a sleepover. She dropped her gun. She might have been able to hear Mickey radioing for Jake, but she couldn’t be sure through her haze.

She felt Mickey’s hand on her back. “Rose,” he whispered. “Come on, don’t look.” He nudged her shoulder to turn her away, but it only served to shift her focus from the children to the flames that were still licking the remains of the glass case.

Without thinking, she grabbed a thick blanket from nearby and suffocated the flames, immediately beginning to sift through the ashes, muttering to herself. “There has to be something usable, come on, come on…”

The rest of the team had made their way down to the basement, quietly regarding the scene in front of them.

“Torchwood One,” she heard Jake say. “This is Alpha Team. We need an extraction. Over.”

“No,” Rose whispered, tears starting to fall as she started filtering more desperately through the ashes. “No, no, no, there has to be something we can salvage.”

“Rose,” Mickey whispered, his voice full of pity.

“Alpha Team, your extraction is ready. Brace for transport,” the watch crackled.

“No, no, no, no, no,” Rose whispered frantically, grabbing for anything she could. But it was too late; something pulled at her from the inside and when the feeling abated her surroundings had been replaced by the cold grey of Torchwood. She fell to her knees, the haze returning.

 

* * *

 

Rose had been sitting in Pete Tyler’s outer office for… some amount of time. She wasn’t really sure. It felt like hours. Jake and Mickey and Dr. Sato had been in the office with him, but they’d left Rose on the couch outside, which was fine by her.

Her thoughts alternated between seeing the three small bodies on the ground and the pile of ashes that had once been her greatest chance at returning to her universe… to the Doctor.

They had been working on the Dimension Cannon since Rose had been stuck here, and it had been fully functional for the better part of a year, save for one very important detail: they had no way to aim. Rose had been sent across the void hundreds of times, but the team had no control over which parallel universe or even which time period she landed in.

Enter Helmium. Toshiko Sato, the head scientist in charge of the project, had read about the substance that had telepathic properties. She theorized that the metal would allow them to build a regulator that could tap into their minds and allow them to ‘steer’, so to speak.

Helmium was an incredibly rare substance to begin with, and almost all of it had been stolen, used, or burned in the Great Helmic Wars, where the inhabitants of Helmia fought over the valuable metal. Finding word of a cache of it had been a godsend. They’d spent months developing the technology to transport them to the planet, and it had been ruined with the press of a button.

Rose was leaning forward, head in her hands, when the inner office emptied and everyone filed out. Mickey put his hand on her shoulder comfortingly as he passed, but continued out the door.

Pete sat down next to Rose after he’d closed the door to the outer office and put his arms around her. She leaned into him and let herself cry.

When the tears subsided, he pulled back and looked her in the eye.

“Rose,” he said softly, “Jake, Mickey, Tosh, and I just had a long chat about the future of the Cannon. Tosh doesn’t know how to move forward without the Helmium; she didn’t have a backup plan. We don’t have the resources to devote to the project anymore. Rose, I’m so sorry, but we’re shutting it down.”

Rose blinked the tears out of her eyes. “You can’t,” she pleaded, “I know we can make it work, we’ve gotten so close…”

Pete shook his head, no longer quite willing to make eye contact with his stepdaughter.

“Rose,” he said quietly, “we’re not close enough. We can’t keep shooting you blindly into random universes, random timelines, hoping to stumble on the right one. Sweetheart, the possibilities are literally endless.” He reached out and put a hand on her trembling shoulder. “It’s over.”

Rose looked at the ground, trying not to cry again, thinking of something she could say to change his mind.

Pete cleared his throat absentmindedly, considering his next words carefully. “And what’s more, Rose… the actions you took today were those of someone too emotionally compromised to be in the field.” Rose’s eyes snapped up, her mouth agape. Surely he couldn’t mean- “I don’t think that it’s healthy for you to be here right now. Effective immediately, I’m putting you on administrative leave.”

Rose knew he was right; she’d been too desperate and scared to think properly. Having nothing to say but feeling all the guilt and grief she’d bottled up the last four years, she let out a sob. Pete pulled her in for a hug, letting her weep into him again.

When her eyes had dried up, Pete loaded her into the car and took her home. She spent the next several days in a stupor: eating the food put in front of her, drinking tea, and barely paying attention to Jackie fussing over her.

She knew that she should make some sort of effort to behave normally, to put her parents out of their misery. But how could she? How could she go back to her life knowing that she would never see him again?

She vaguely remembered Mickey visiting, and Jake. They talked about work, and new projects, and other things that didn’t matter to her anymore. Occasionally Tony would toddle in, and she would wake up enough to play with him for a few minutes until he realized that she was still being boring and moved on to the next game.

After two weeks, or three, or four – she didn’t bother to take notice of how much time had passed – Jackie and Pete came into her room together and sat on her bed.

Rose wiped her eyes and sat up. She could tell by the look in her parents’ eyes what was coming, and she welcomed it. She was tired of being depressed; it didn’t suit her. She had done her mourning and she was ready to do something new.

Jackie petted her hair while Pete spoke in a low, comforting voice.

“Rose, sweetheart, your mum and I have been thinking. You need to get back into the world and go back to work, but we feel like maybe London isn’t the right place for you to do that. How would you feel about spending some time away?” Rose shrugged noncommittally, but she couldn’t deny that a fresh start sounded appealing. “I’ve made some calls to some old friends, and my friend Elaine is Chief Superintendent of a lovely town along the coast. They’ve got the correct connectivity for you to continue some of your work. It’ll be like a vacation. You can stay for good, or until you’re ready to come back. Whatever you’re comfortable with.”

He waited for Rose to respond.

Her lips parted, preparing to mutter some form of assent, but she couldn’t make the words come. Maybe she’d forgotten how to talk, being cooped up in her bed all this time. Instead, she closed her mouth and nodded.

Jackie took her hand and squeezed it gently. “Rose, love, this is the right thing for now,” she said gently, her voice almost a whisper. “You need time to heal.” Rose nodded again and Jackie broke into a wide smile, her voice returning to its normal loud, exuberant cadence. “Excellent. Now, you have the rest of the night to stay in bed and get the rest of this,” she gestured vaguely around Rose’s room, “out of your system. First thing tomorrow you’re getting up, taking a long-overdue shower, and eating breakfast with us downstairs so we can talk about finding you a place in Broadchurch.” Jackie patted her daughter’s hand and led her husband out of the bedroom, shutting the door behind her.

Rose sighed and rolled over, deciding to relish her last few hours of misery.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose packed a bag, loaded it into her car, hugged her family goodbye, and headed south. Three hours later, she pulled into Broadchurch, Dorset.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> #expositionchapter

In a rare instance of obedience, Rose was downstairs for breakfast by nine o’clock, clean and showered and fully dressed. She’d even taken the time to style her hair and apply the smallest amount of makeup.

Tony ran into the kitchen and headed straight for his big sister, who managed a genuine smile as she scooped him into her lap and listened to his happy chattering. Their parents followed after, relieved and more than a tad surprised to see Rose acting like a fully functioning human.

Pete placed a kiss on her forehead and ruffled Tony’s hair before making breakfast, a full buffet of omelets, pancakes, and bacon. As he cooked, Jackie pulled out a laptop and began showing Rose the houses the realtors had picked out in Broadchurch, cooing over the ones near the beach and the ones with big windows or good views.

Rose was shocked at how normal she felt, tickling her baby brother, picking out a home with her mum, making conversation with her dad. It hurt her face to smile too much, as though she had forgotten how to use those muscles, but for some reason it felt better than not smiling.

The little family sat around the table talking as the hours passed, until they’d narrowed it down to Rose’s favorite house and a back up, in case the pictures were misleading. She could go today if she wanted, Pete suggested. Rose hesitated – it seemed soon, but there was nothing keeping her here except that she hadn’t packed anything – but ultimately agreed when Pete or her mum addressed each of her trepidations in turn: she’d get to town early enough to view the houses; she only needed to pack clothes anyway; did she really want to spend another night in the bed that had kept her prisoner in her anguish for weeks now?

So Rose packed a bag, loaded it into her car, hugged her family goodbye, and headed south. Three hours later, she pulled into Broadchurch, Dorset.

Her first stop was the Trader’s Inn, where she would be staying for a couple of days until she could officially purchase a house and move in. She was greeted by a sunny blonde woman with an Australian accent.

“Welcome to Broadchurch! I’m Becca Fisher, I run the Trader’s. What can I help you with?”

Rose smiled, finding it a more uneasy task than it had been in the morning with her family. “Hi, uh, Rose Tyler. I’m going to need a room for a few nights,” she replied.

Becca nodded, opening a large ledger book on the counter and started writing. “How many nights, Rose?” she asked brightly.

“I’m not totally sure,” Rose said with a small shrug. “Until I can sign on a house.”

The innkeep looked up, eyes wide and curious. “Oh, you’re moving to town? That’s wonderful, what brings you here?”

Rose blinked, not totally sure how to answer the stranger. “Uh, my work is looking at opening a remote office,” was the explanation she settled on.

Becca accepted this readily as she finished filling out the book. She reached behind her and grabbed a key off of a hook, handing it to her new guest. “Well, I’m glad to hear it, and you’re welcome here as long as you need. Feel free to let me know if you need anything, Rose!”

Rose nodded and said her thanks, carrying her bag to the room that matched the number on the key. She opened the door and tossed her bag in, pausing only to survey the generic hotel room before checking the clock on her phone and returning to her car so she could make the appointment Pete had set up with her realtor.

Broadchurch was small and quaint, but bustling, Rose noted as she drove through downtown. Locals walked from shop to shop, stopping to chat with each other on the sidewalk. Most people were smiling, and everyone seemed to know one another. It seemed… nice.

When she pulled up to the address of her favorite house, the realtor was already there, dressed in a smart pant suit and leaning against her car. “Miss Tyler?” she called as Rose exited her car. Rose nodded, and the woman extended her hand. “Peggy Anderson. Your father called to arrange the showing and we’ve already discussed the price, so if you love the house we’ll be ready to move forward with the paperwork!” Rose smiled and nodded, shaking the offered hand.

The house was in a nice neighborhood of family homes and everything in sight was green. It wasn’t right on the beach, but it was close enough that she could make it to the water on her morning runs.

Peggy led her around the house, which had four bedrooms and three baths – perfect for the inevitable visits of Mickey and Jake, or her parents. The kitchen was lovely and freshly renovated, and the sitting room had a space that could be considered an office. It was exactly as it had been advertised, and Rose knew she didn’t need to see the back up house.

Rose followed Peggy outside just as a car pulled into a neighboring driveway. “Tom, can you get the grocery bags while I get your brother?” called the woman getting out of the car. Rose looked up with curiosity but returned her attention to the realtor, who was assuring her that she would have the contract ready for her to look over by tomorrow.

Rose nodded along, asking a few standard questions, until moments later when she heard someone yell, “Fred, come back!” and felt something small collide with her leg. Glancing down, she saw a little boy gripping her pant leg and looking back towards his mummy, grinning and giggling.

The woman from next door jogged after him. “Fred, don’t be naughty,” she chided before looking up at Rose and Peggy. “I’m sorry about him, running away is his new favorite game, isn’t it, Freddy?” the little boy giggled again.

Rose smiled. “Oh, no problem,” she assured the woman who would shortly be her neighbor, bending down to greet the toddler. “And how old are you, young man? I think my little brother’s about your age!” Fred’s eyes got big and his cheeks started to flush, suddenly shy in front of her.

“Nearly three,” his mum said proudly. “Hello Peggy,” she greeted the realtor. “I’m Ellie Miller, by the way,” she said to Rose. “Are you thinking of buying the Jones’s place?” Rose shook her hand as she stood up.

“Rose Tyler. And yeah, I think we’re just drawing up the papers.”

“Well isn’t that lovely!” Ellie exclaimed. “What brings you to Broadchurch?”

Rose repeated the reason she had given to Becca. Ellie nodded and opened her mouth to reply when Fred decided it was time to play run-away again and darted back to his house, laughing as he moved his stubby legs as fast as they could go. Ellie sighed. “I look forward to getting to know you better!” she called behind her, chasing after the boy.

Rose smiled after them, hoping that she _would_ get to know them. She finished up with Peggy and got into her car.

She called Pete to thank him for arranging everything for the house and to confirm her choice. He told her he was excited for her and directed her to order some furniture to be delivered as soon as she could officially move in.

When Rose had first arrived in Pete’s World four years ago, their relationship had been strained.

Until he’d rescued her from the Void, Pete had been adamant that she was not his daughter, and after he’d decided that he did want to have that type of relationship with her, he didn’t know how to act. He’d never had a child before, and he compensated by trying to spoil her.

For her part, Rose was most uncomfortable with the handouts. She and her mum had grown up with little to nothing, struggling for everything they had and earning every treasure. While Jackie had adjusted, ahem, admirably to the lifestyle accompanied with being married to the Vitex mogul, Rose had more difficulty.

In time, Pete learned how to be a father emotionally as well as financially and began to relate to his pseudo-daughter on several levels, from their similar sense of humor to their work at Torchwood and their love for Jackie. Concurrently, Rose learned not to be so reluctant to accept his gifts. “They’re an investment, Rose. When your mum and I are old, you’ll be in charge of Vitex or Torchwood or both, and you’ll have to take care of me like I’m taking care of you. And besides, it’s not that you can’t take care of yourself; just that you don’t have to.”

So, while she tried not to be wasteful with his financial support, she accepted it, and resolved to shop for furniture online when she got back to the hotel.

But first, she decided, she would go visit the beach, and maybe watch the sunset.

She took her shoes off and walked along the tide until she found a spot remote enough to sit, the water grazing her toes at its highest point, and she made phone calls to Mickey and then Jake. In turn, they each told her how proud they were of her for getting up and moving on, and to call them if she needed anything at all. They told her what they were working on and Jake gushed about a new guy he’d been seeing. They caught her up on nearly a month’s worth of their lives; all the things she’d missed when she was catatonic.

When she’d hung up with her two best friends and seen the sun fall beyond the horizon, she treaded back to her car. Her stomach grumbled on her way back to the hotel, so she stopped at Tesco to pick up some supplies for her room’s mini fridge.

She roamed the aisles, choosing crisps and salad and other things that would keep her from eating out too much over the next few days. She liked being in a grocery store; it felt familiar despite being somewhere brand new.

Rose purchased her goods and made to leave the store when someone rushed by her. He was sobbing as he exited the store and nearly running, though it seemed his tears were too debilitating to let him move as fast as he’d like to. Cautiously, Rose followed him out in time to see him run into the nearest alley.

She heard a crash, as though he’d kicked a garbage can. She slowly made her way over to the alley, groceries in hand. When she reached the space, he was crouched against a wall, head in his hands, making a sound that could be compared to a yowling cat.

Rose cleared her throat. “Oy, you alright, mate?” He moved his head just enough to look at her out of the corner of his eye, hiccupped, and nodded.

“Fine,” he choked. “Just need a secon’ to m’self.”

Rose paused a moment, but ultimately backed out of the alley. She kept an eye on him as she walked back to her car, but when she saw that he hadn’t moved she decided she should let him cry it out on his own and drove back to the Trader’s.

 

* * *

 

The next morning, Rose went for a run. When she started at Torchwood, she had made getting in shape a priority: real, proper, fighting shape, as opposed to the shape she had been in with the Doctor, where the most athletic she had to be was short dashes back to the TARDIS and the occasional swing on a rope. Jake and Mickey would take her to the gym and guide her workouts until she figured it out for herself.

She used to start every day with a run: eight miles on weekdays, 12 on weekends. Today she found out that several weeks of absolutely zero physical activity of any kind took its toll and was wheezing so badly when she was a mile and a half from the hotel that she had to turn back.

Somehow she managed to run all the way back – or, more accurately, slowly jog – and she stripped off her clothes and slipped into a shower.

After she had recovered some, she shrugged on a robe, fixed herself some tea and retrieved the newspaper that had been slipped under her door. She took a sip from her mug and almost spit it back out when she read the headline:

_**UNIDENTIFIED MAN OPENS FIRE AT LOCAL PUB. 4 DEAD, MORE INJURED.** _

Blinking, Rose’s mind flashed to the man in the alley. Surely they weren’t related?

She put it out of her mind, setting the newspaper aside and retrieving her laptop so she could shop for furniture. She started with the basics: bedroom and living room sets, a kitchen table, some pots and pans.

Her eyes kept drifting to the newspaper and eventually her curiosity got the best of her, so she put her shopping aside and turned on the outdated television, flipping through to find a news channel.

She was interrupted by a sharp knock on her door that made her jump. Standing up, she smoothed her hair and made sure her robe was closed before opening the door. In front of her stood a uniformed police officer.

“Miss Tyler?” he asked. When she nodded, he continued. “Ma’am, I’m Sergeant Carson. Have you seen the news of the events that happened last night at The Sea and Suds?”

Rose nodded. “Saw it in the paper this morning. It’s just awful.”

Sergeant Carson cleared his throat. “Yes ma’am. We have a suspect in the shooting, but are looking for some more information about him. You were seen on CCTV talking to him outside of Tesco. Would you be willing to come down to the station and give a statement?”

Rose knew enough to know that it was less of a request, but the sergeant was polite enough about it. She quieted her finely-tuned sense of self protection; if there was something she could do to help, she absolutely would.

“’Course. If you wouldn’t mind giving me a mo’ to change into something more suitable,” she gestured to the dressing robe she was wearing, causing the young sergeant to blush and nod.

“Of course. I can wait out here to escort you.” Rose flashed a smile and closed her door.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She found her voice sooner than she would have anticipated and, more than angry or relieved or confused, she found herself to be annoyed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the very first scene I wrote for this story, and it survived with only minor modifications. It's my favorite, so I hope you enjoy it!

Rose paced. She had nothing to be nervous about, but she hated being holed up. She’d been in this position in too many times, waiting to be interrogated in hostile territory, separated from the Doctor… she didn’t like it. She just wanted to give her statement and be on her way.

She couldn’t bring herself to sit down in the chair while she was waiting. It was too sterile, too impersonal. So she paced.

She was facing away from the door when it opened. She turned to meet the sound, completely unprepared for what she’d find

Rose felt the wind knock out of her, and she froze. How could this be real?

She found her voice sooner than she would have anticipated and, more than angry or relieved or confused, she found herself to be annoyed.

“Oy, what’re you doing here?” Rose barked, glaring slightly.

The man entering the room had been looking down at a folder when her voice caught him, his head snapping up at her words. He made eye contact with her briefly before looking around, expecting she had been addressing someone else. When it became clear that he was the only person in the room, he answered.

“Er. I’m here to interview you,” he replied, trying to mask the awkwardness he felt by adding authority to his voice. Rose was quick to pick up the Scottish accent.

She was still frozen. Her whole body itched, trying to convince her mind to throw herself into his arms, but she waited, running through the possibilities in her head.

One, he was undercover. That was plausible; he couldn’t acknowledge her without ruining whatever he’d been working on. It didn’t seem likely, however, that he would be so deep into character that he wouldn’t at least give her a quick wink or a sign to let her know to play along. That, paired with the complete lack of recognition in his eyes… it wasn’t like the Doctor.

Two, he didn’t remember her. Something had happened and he’d forgotten her. He’d hit his head, or hidden himself away. In the back of her mind she recalled what he’d told her about the Chameleon Arch and how it could make him appear human if he was in danger by hiding his Time Lord essence in a fob watch until it was ready to be opened.

Three. Most simply, and least probably: he was not the Doctor. Rose wasn’t quite willing to entertain this possibility, however, so she pushed it to the back of her mind. This was the Doctor. It had to be.

Regardless of the explanation, the Doctor did not seem as though he was able to acknowledge her, and so she decided very quickly that her only course of action was to play along.

“Oh. Sorry. You looked a bit like a friend of mine for a second.” She disguised the lameness of her explanation with a hint of a cheeky smile as she cautiously approached the table.

“Right, well. Not him. Detective Inspector Alec Hardy,” he replied in his brogue, moving toward the chair on his side of the tabled.

Rose almost laughed. Alec Hardy? Where’d he come up with that one?

DI Hardy sat across from her. “So, Ms. Tyler, you were caught on CCTV last night following our suspect into an alley behind the Tesco approximately ten minutes before we believe he opened fire in the bar. Can you tell me what happened?

_Can you tell me what you’re doing in this universe? Can you tell me why you’re acting like you don’t know who I am?_

Rose pushed the thoughts aside, clearing her throat. She put on her professionalism cap and described her experience. “I had just purchased some snacks and was about to exit the store when a man rushed past me crying. It seemed odd, so I kept an eye on him as he ran towards the alley. As I was about to walk to my car, he made some sort of awful racket, so I walked over to the alley. He was sitting against a wall. I approached, just a couple of steps toward him, and called out to ask if he was alright. He kinda looked up, and he said he was okay, just needed a mo’. So I left him alone. By the time I reached my car he hadn’t moved, so I went back to the hotel. That’s the last I saw him.”

Hardy wrote some notes in his folder and looked back up at her. “You just got into town yesterday, is that correct?” Rose nodded. “And what brings you to Broadchurch?”

 _Well, I murdered three alien children in my desperation to get to another universe, so my boss shut down the Dimension Cannon project and I became a helpless mess._ That didn’t seem like a reasonable response, so she shrugged. “My work is looking at opening a remote office and I needed a fresh start, so I volunteered.”

“From what?” Hardy asked, not looking up from his folder.

“Pardon?”

Hardy glanced up from the paper and made eye contact with her. “You needed a fresh start from what, Ms. Tyler?” The hard look briefly allowed her to forget that she was talking to the Doctor; that this was all a game for the cameras.

Rose held his gaze for as long as she could bear it – a couple of seconds, at most – before looking away. “Not sure what it matters,” she replied, her guard up.

She glanced back at the DI and found that Hardy’s eyes were still boring into her. “Four people are dead and several more are in the hospital, Ms. Tyler. Everything matters. Why’d you come to Broadchurch?” He held her gaze until she looked away again, then returned to his folder.

Rose considered how much she should tell ‘Alec Hardy’.

“I had a very close friend,” she started, deciding to keep it as vague as possible. “I lost him, a few years back now, I guess. I didn’t really know how to cope, so I threw myself into my work. I probably worked 80 hour weeks for four years, most of it on this one project.” She paused as she thought of the Dimension Cannon, feeling tears threaten to gather in her eyes. She sniffed and continued. “Anyway, the project got scrapped a few weeks ago. It hadn’t been making enough progress and I… the higher ups decided it was no longer worth pursuing.” She tried to keep the guilt and bitterness out of her voice. She wondered if she succeeded. “So they cut it. Losing the project was… hard. It was a bit like losing the-“ Rose choked on his name. “Like losing my friend all over again, since I’d basically used the project as a way to avoid thinking about it.” Rose shrugged. “Pete – my boss – suggested I pick up from a new location. So here I am.”

“What sort of project were you working on?” Hardy asked, eyes on his notes.

“That information is actually classified, Detective Inspector.” Hardy looked up, a hint of curiosity on his face. “I work for a classified division of the government. Torchwood. You can look it up,” she offered, not willing to go into any more specifics.

Hardy was fairly sure he’d heard of Torchwood, but he couldn’t place it. “I will do that,” he said, scribbling the name into his notes. “So, trying to get a fresh start, that I get. But why Broadchurch?”

“Pete, uh, my stepdad – well, boss. Both, actually. Anyway, he knew Elaine Jenkinson when he was younger, the CS. They kept in touch a bit, and he said she always spoke highly of this place. And the town has the right, um, infrastructure for my work.” Hardy was looking at her intently, waiting for her to explain. “See, there has to be a certain type of wiring to support Torchwood’s encryption programs: telephone, internet, et cetera. Lots of little towns like this don’t have it right, but Broadchurch was one of the last in the area to fully integrate, so they got most advanced stuff. It’s the only place in this part of the coast that’s right for my work and Pete already knew a bit about it so we decided it would be a good fit.”

Hardy watched her for a few moments, studying. He finally decided that he believed her and looked back down to his file.

“Can you tell me anything else about the other night at the Tesco?” he asked, changing the subject. “A general description?”

Rose thought about it, picturing the man in her mind. “He was average height, maybe 5’9”. Dark hair, short but like it hasn’t been cut in a while, and skinny, maybe 135 or 140 pounds. Late 20s, early 30s. I don’t think he was holding anything; he didn’t have a bag and his coat wasn’t large enough to conceal anything. For the amount of damage he caused I doubt he could have used a pistol and he definitely couldn’t have been packing anything larger when I saw him, so I can’t think of where the gun could’ve come from, ‘less he went back and got it from his car or somethin’…” Her investigative instinct was kicking in as she turned the events over and over in her head, but she couldn’t come up with anything that could be considered a revelation. “That’s it,” she shrugged.

When she looked back at DI Hardy, he was staring at her with a slight sense of incredulity.

“You’re quite the observant one, eh?” he commented. His posture didn’t give anything away, but Rose was quite sure she’d just been complimented.

“I do what I can, yeah,” she agreed, a familiar feeling of pride trickling through her body. She again had to remind herself that this was the Doctor she was talking to. Why did he seem so surprised that she was clever?

After another second or two, Alec Hardy looked away from her and closed his folder.

“Well, that’s all I’ve got for you, Ms. Tyler. Thank you for your cooperation.” He checked his watch. “Interview terminated, 11:42am,” he announced, pressing a button on the recorder. He scooted his chair back to get up and Rose felt herself panic.

_He can’t leave. Not again. Not again. Deep breath. Keep calm. He can’t leave._

Her heart was racing, but she put on her best cheeky grin. “Hold on, don’t I get to ask any questions?” She poked her tongue out between her teeth. DI Hardy paused, still in his seat. Rose was terrified that he was able to hear her heartbeat.

“Do you have questions about the investigation?” he asked. “Because I’m afraid I’m not at liberty to discuss ongoing investigations.”

Rose barely kept herself from rolling her eyes. “Not the investigation, as such. ‘S just, you look so much like my friend that I mistook you for him earlier, I thought you might be related. You ever been to London?”

Hardy looked almost insulted at the question. “’Course I’ve been to London, everyone’s been to London. I’ve never spent more than a week there, mind, and don’t know many people from there. What’s your friend’s name?”

“John Smith,” she replied. “Dr. John Smith.”

Hardy scoffed. “You have a friend called John Smith? That’s not a proper name, that’s an alias. No one’s called John Smith,” Hardy declared, skeptical.

“Hm, maybe not related, then,” Rose responded cheerily, deflecting. “You’re not from Broadchurch, right? Can’t be, with that accent, I assume,” she said, her grin still firmly in place.

“Glasgow,” he replied, not totally sure why he was indulging her. “I moved down to England after university. I’ve been in Broadchurch for about eighteen months.”

“What brought you here, then?” she asked.

Hardy took a deep breath, considering. Rose noticed the way his eyes darkened as he thought. “Same as you, I supposed. Needed to start over.” With that, he stood up, picking up his folder. “Again, I appreciate you coming in, Ms. Tyler. Unfortunately, I’ve got to get back to work.” He gestured for her to exit the room.

Rose felt her heart break, knowing that she would have to leave and not knowing when she’d see him again. Not being able to come up with another viable excuse to delay things, she got up and headed to the door.

“One last question,” she said cheerfully, turning to face him as she reached the door as one last thought occurred to her. She reached a hand back to turn the handle as she asked. “Do you own a fob watch, Detective Inspector?” She smiled up at him as she walked slowly backwards out of the room.

Hardy looked confused, but took a second to think. “I do not,” he replied after doing a mental checklist of all his possessions. It was a short list. Rose’s heart dropped.

“Ah shame,” she said, trying to play it off as cheek or flirtation. Inside, she ached. No fob watch meant no Chameleon Arch meat she was no closer to unraveling the truth of this Doctor. “Every man needs a fob watch.”

She turned around and was quickly distracted from the Alec Hardy situation when she spied her new neighbor across the room. “Ellie!” Rose smiled and waved, walking over to her. It was good to see a familiar face that didn’t cause her untold emotional pain.

“Rose, hello!” Ellie greeted happily.

“I didn’t realize you were a copper,” Rose joked with a smile. “S’pose you’re the one that recognized me on the CCTV, then?”

Ellie nodded, her smile fading ever so slightly. “I’m sorry to get you involved in all of this unpleasantness,” she apologized, but Rose shushed her.

“Nonsense, I’m happy to help any way I can. Plus, it’s all a very exciting way to blow into town, isn’t it? Be a potential witness, have your statement taken, et cetera.” She gestured back towards Hardy, surprised to find that he had followed her over.

“Ah, so you’ve met DI Hardy then,” Ellie laughed. “I apologize for his behavior.”

Rose chuckled, looking up to see Hardy glaring pointedly.

“Hilarious, Miller,” he said dryly. “How do you and Ms. Tyler know each other?” he asked.

“I’m her new neighbor!” Rose announced. “Well, almost. We met yesterday while I was over taking a tour, but I sign the papers soon.”

“Which reminds me,” Ellie responded, “I meant to ask you over for dinner. Can you do tonight? Alec, you come too.”

Hardy grunted noncommittally while Rose nodded enthusiastically. More time with ‘DI Alec Hardy’ was more time to figure out what the Doctor was up to. “Sounds brilliant, what time?” she asked, already forming a plan for the night.

“7 okay? Alec, you can pick her up, the hotel is on the way from your house. This way he can’t back out,” Ellie added as an aside to Rose.

“That’s really not necessary, Miller-” Hardy started to protest, but Ellie waved him off.

“It’s been ages since you’ve come around. I’m feeding you tonight and that’s that. Besides, you’ll look for any excuse to drive that new car of yours around and show it off.” Hardy muttered grumpily to himself but appeared to acquiesce. “Rose, you’re at the Trader’s, right? What’s your room number? Alec will be there at 6:45 to pick you up.”

“It’s 233. Here-“ Rose reached onto Ellie’s desk and grabbed a stray business card. She wrote her room number and her mobile and handed it to Hardy. She was careful to not let their hands brush; she was not sure she could have handled that.

Hardy slipped the card into his pocket. “Right then, 6:45. In the meantime, Miller, get your desk straightened up and then meet me in my office. There’s a lot to catch you up on for this case.” He stood awkwardly for a moment before nodding at the women. “Ms. Tyler,” he acknowledged before walking away.

“He’s cheery,” Rose joked to Ellie after he was out of earshot. She was hungry for any additional information Ellie would offer up about him.

“Oh, you’ve caught him on a good day,” she laughed in reply. “Truth be told I never expected him to come to dinner. Maybe he has a thing for blondes,” she teased.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Truthfully, she had nearly expected him to drop the charade now that they were alone, but he was unwavering in his act of sullen, awkward detective inspector.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay, I've been finishing up my projects for this semester and also this chapter wouldn't quite do what I wanted it to. The next one should be out much sooner!

Rose had a plan. It wasn’t the most well thought out plan she’d ever come up with, but it was serviceable. It was simple in concept (if not possibly a bit convoluted in execution): Alec Hardy did not have a fob watch, therefore Alec Hardy was not a human version of the Doctor, therefore Alec Hardy was a Time Lord version of the Doctor, therefore Alec Hardy had two hearts.

All she had to do was prove it.

She had spent the day trying to cobble together the mechanics of her scheme, running an errand or two and avoiding her mobile when it rang: Pete, asking her about her furniture shopping; Jackie, making suggestions about her furniture shopping; Peggy, informing her that she would leave the paperwork inside the house for Rose to sign and giving her the code to the lock box. She couldn’t focus on any of that just now.

When Alec knocked on her door at precisely 6:45, her plan could still be considered half-baked at best, and it would require her getting friendly with Ellie’s kids, but she was determined. 

She opened the door with her winningest smile, which he returned half-heartedly. “Ms. Tyler. You look nice,” he said formally. She noticed his eyes took the time to take her in and decide whether his words were true. And, Rose wasn’t one to brag, but they were.

She pulled one of the only two dresses she’d brought on her impromptu move to Broadchurch: it was navy blue, casual but elegant, and it hugged her in the right places. Well, usually. She’d lost a bit of weight during her self-imposed bed rest and it hung a bit loose at the moment, so she cinched it with a belt to a similar effect.

“Why thank you, DI Hardy,” she said with exaggerated formality, trying not to laugh. He had certainly not changed clothes since she’d met him that morning. “You look exactly the same as earlier,” she said with the tone of a great compliment. He accommodated her with a strained smile and suggested they leave.

Truthfully, she had nearly expected him to drop the charade now that they were alone, but he was unwavering in his act of sullen, awkward detective inspector. She chattered brightly at him in the car about nothing in particular. “Buying furniture for a new house is so daunting!” she exclaimed, fiddling with her bag and hoping she didn’t seem nervous. He humored her with the occasional response, but mostly focused on the road. 

In the car her phone started buzzing, but she quickly silenced it without checking the caller ID. She had other things to worry about.

Rose tried not to think about how different he was from the Doctor she remembered. Traditionally, he would have been the one nattering on about nothing and everything, making her laugh and teaching her things.

Ellie was a much better conversational partner, Rose noted thankfully when they reached her house for dinner. She invited them in warmly, teasing Alec for not bothering to change his suit whilst simultaneously scolding them both for dressing up at all. She wore jeans and a jumper, as did her boys. Fred had run straight for Alec and hugged his leg when the door opened.

“I didn’t know how to dress, so I went with a solid middle-of-the road outfit,” Rose explained with a laugh. “Dress it up or down!” Ellie rolled her eyes good-naturedly, but maintained that she was too formal.

“At least you’re not as bad as this one,” she responded with a chuckle and a nod at Hardy. “I’ve seen him out of a suit, what, twice?” Hardy grumbled, patting Fred’s head absentmindedly. “You should have seen him the first time he came ‘round, all dressed up, carrying flowers _and_ wine _and_ chocolate!”

This earned a giggle from Rose, who could picture the sight all too easily, and a proper eye rolling from the DI. “That really necessary, Miller?” he added under his breath.

Ellie was a decent cook, too, Rose thought as she enjoyed the chicken parmesan her host had prepared. Both of her boys took plates to the living room to watch the television while the adults ate in the dining room. 

Rose noticed Hardy relax as the evening progressed, warming up to her presence. He even deigned to let himself smile every once in a while, and Rose began to get the distinct impression that his bad-temperedness was all some sort of act.

Ellie peppered her cheerily with questions about her past and upbringing. They were neighborly and curious in nature, and Rose had little trouble telling the truth, for the most part.

“Raised on an estate with a single mum, heading nowhere fast. I made a friend and went traveling for a couple of years, got my head on straight. When I got back, my mum had gotten engaged. I’ve got a little brother now, and a stepdad who set me up with an interesting job where I proceeded to nearly work myself to death,” she summarized with a shrug and a lazy smile.

“Torchwood,” Alec said, drawing out the word as though he was trying to decide how it tasted. Rose nodded, and he continued. “I looked it up, like you suggested. Even made a couple of calls.”

“Alec, really, is this the time?” Miller chided, but Rose was not easily intimidated.

“Oh? Find anything interesting?”

“About as interesting as a classified division of the government can be to a civilian, I suppose.” He took a sip of wine as Rose watched him expectantly, sensing the question he hadn’t yet asked. “How old are you? Early twenties? Aren’t you a bit young to be working for a top secret government agency, Miss Tyler?”

“Alec, really!” Ellie exclaimed. Hardy ignored her, his eyes searching Rose’s face curiously.

Rose couldn’t hide the amusement she felt. “Twenty-five,” she answered. In truth that number wasn’t anything except her best guess; some days she felt years older, despite her youthful features. “Still interrogating, then?” she asked, the corners of her lips twitching. “Am I a person of interest in your case, Detective Inspector?”

Hardy shook his head, not quite taking his eyes off her. “Not a person of interest, no. I spoke to your superior on the phone and he confirmed that you’re in Broadchurch to open a remote location.”

She laughed, unable to keep a straight face at the thought of Mickey or Jake explaining the situation to the DI, not realizing that they may have already met him. “Ah, and which one of them thinks he’s my superior this time? Smith or Simmonds?” As she asked, she realized that it must have been one of them who had called in the car, likely to chastise her for not warning them she’d attracted the interest of local law enforcement.

“Smith,” he answered plainly. His face had returned to a neutral expression, though he still seemed intrigued by her.

Rose rolled her eyes. “He’d love to think so. Anyway, enough about me. How’d you two become partners?”

“He stole my job!” Ellie laughed, relieved that Alec had to stop his line of questioning. “It was earmarked for me, but I came back from three weeks of vacation and he’d up and taken it!”

Hardy’s lips tugged upwards, the hint of a smile playing on his face.

“You learned to deal with me,” he said lightly.

“Ah, well, I guess we make a good team, especially when you’re not being too much of a knob,” she teased. Hardy smirked and shook his head as he took another bite. “Plus, it was probably for the best, me not being in charge,” she added with a dry laugh.

Hardy looked up, opening his mouth as though to correct her but thinking better of it. “I’d say everything worked out how it was supposed to,” he said graciously.

There was a beat of silence and something passed between them that Rose didn’t quite understand before little Fred toddled in with an empty plastic bowl.

“Mummy, can I have ice cream now?”

The moment between Hardy and Ellie ended as Ellie rolled her eyes at her son. “Freddy, you don’t need dessert before bed. You can have Tom pour you some milk if you want,” she suggested as an alternative. On cue, the older boy peeked out of the kitchen.

“So… no ice cream then? C’mon, Mum,” he said, giving her puppy eyes. “Uncle Alec thinks it’s alright, don’t you?” He turned his gaze on Hardy hopefully.

Hardy put down his silverware and held up his hands defensively. “Honestly, Tom, I’m not sure why you think I’d be willing to get between your mum and her dinner schedule.” Ellie rewarded her partner with a smile and a gracious nod. “Even if it is a bit strict and silly,” he added, trying and failing to hide a mischievous grin.

“Oy, not you as well!” Ellie protested, earning giggles from Rose and her sons.

“Ah, come on, Miller. What’s the harm?” he stared at her pointedly.

Ellie turned to Rose, desperate for some back up. Rose wanted to help her, but at the same time…

“The only time I have to feed children is when I’m babysitting my brother,” she looked to Alec, who was staring at her, eyes twinkling. “I’m not his favorite family member for refusing him ice cream when he asks,” she said with a laugh and a wink at DI Hardy.

Ellie groaned. “What is the point of you two? Fine, Tom, you can make a scoop for yourself and your brother. One each!”

Tom and Fred cheered, disappearing back into the kitchen. Ellie glared at her dinner guests, but seemed far from angry.

Later, Alec lounged on the couch while they waited for Ellie to bring in the tea and biscuits – a task she had hastily shooed them away from helping with. Tom was sitting on the floor watching TV and playing on his phone while Fred ran around like a wild horse, riding his sugar high from the ice cream. Rose sat on the other side of the couch, clutching her oversized purse and trying to come up with a viable excuse to put her plan into action.

She set her bag down and started chasing the younger boy around, remembering the toddler’s favorite game from the day before and deciding that the first step had to be getting him to play with her. He was delighted to have a playmate, squealing and running as she caught him and let him go.

Eventually she grabbed him and sat down on the floor. “You tired me out, little man,” she told him – truthfully, though this fact annoyed her and reminded her how out of shape she was. “Do you have some toys we can play with? Maybe some cars or trucks?” Fred nodded excitedly and ran off to another room to grab some.

He returned with a basket of toy cars, and Rose was taken by surprise when Fred grabbed the one vehicle that brought up not only a reasonable pretense, but a perfect one, for her to move to the next stage. He ran in front of the couch, making sounds that alternated between car noises (“Vroom! Vroom!”) and sirens (“Wee-ooh, wee-ooh, wee-ooh!”), running a small toy ambulance across the coffee table.

Rose was so shocked at her luck that she almost missed her chance, but recovered just in time, moving back to her bag on the couch.

“Fred, do you like playing medic?” she asked sweetly, leaning down to his level.

Fred nodded. “My daddy was a medic,” he told her happily, continuing to drive the toy around the table. Rose noticed from the corner of her eye that Alec visibly tensed at this proclamation. Odd.

Rose cleared her throat and continued. “It’s a very important job,” she told him, and he nodded and smiled. “You know, my mate Shireen used to work at a hospital.” Well, no. Shireen was more of a Professional Free Spirit who sometimes worked in a shop. But Shireen also lived in a parallel universe, so no one would ever be able to confirm or deny her story. “And she used to borrow my bag.” She held up her oversized purse, which the toddler eyed carefully, his curiosity peaked. “And do you know what she left in it the last time?” Fred shook his head, so Rose reached in and pulled out a stethoscope. Fred’s eyes widened.

She was prepared to go more in depth with her story and claim that she hadn’t used the bag in months – technically true, as she’d bought it that day – and had forgotten to clean it out before bringing it over – technically false, as she had strategically placed the stethoscope there hours ago – but she decided that overdoing the lie would be too suspicious, especially in a house full of detectives.

“Do you know how these work, love?” she asked Fred. He shook his head again, though he definitely seemed to recognize the instrument. “Here, it’s easy, we can try it on your Uncle Alec. You just put these bits in your ears,” she said, demonstrating, “and then this bit goes on the chest,” she said, pressing the disc against the left side of Hardy’s chest, “and you can hear a heart beat!” 

Sure enough, a steady beat made itself known in her ears. It was possible that his heart beat was half the speed of hers, which was pounding nervously in her chest, and sped up even more so when she glanced up to see him looking down on her curiously.

“Sometimes you can hear it from the other side,” she said, quickly moving the disc to the other side of his chest, where she heard…

Nothing.

Silence.

One heart.

Her own heart nearly stopped. She could feel herself imploding, her body being sucked into her stomach. She vanished. Or, at least, she wanted to; years of running and unfamiliar territory and having to keep her calm and Torchwood training forced her to carry on as normal.

She smiled up at Fred, who looked fascinated, and removed the device from her ears, handing it to the child. He immediately jammed it in his ears and held it up to Hardy’s chest.

“Alright, enough of that,” he grumbled after a moment, though there was a ghost of a smile on his lips. “Go try it on your brother,” he encouraged, patting the boy’s back. Fred happily ran over to Tom, who was watching TV. He sighed, but allowed his baby brother to listen to his heart.

Rose leaned back onto the couch, trying to wrap her head around what she had found – or, more accurately, had not found. Ellie chose that moment to walk in with the tea, rescuing her from having to make small talk with Not The Doctor, for which she was grateful.

Fred showed his mum his new toy, happily checking her heartbeat. “Rose, you didn’t have to give him that!”

Rose shrugged, smiling through her haze. “I probably won’t see Shireen for months, it’s not like she’s going to miss it. Honestly, I hope he has fun with it.”

Ellie tutted but relented, serving her guests dutifully. She led the rest of the conversation as they finished the tea, allowing Rose the time she needed to decompress and move toward something resembling acceptance.

Alec Hardy was not the Doctor.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hardy looked up, his eyes narrowed slightly in confusion. “Don’t you know?”
> 
> “Would I have asked?” she replied, trying to keep the sarcasm from dripping quite as heavily as it normally would.
> 
> He cleared his throat. “It’s just it was, er, sort of national news, wasn’t it? Danny Latimer?” Rose’s face was still scrunched in the same inquisitive expression. “Worst cop in Britain?” he asked, gesturing to himself.
> 
> “Well that seems unfair,” she said, still not showing signs of recognition. “Your interrogation technique was a little wanting, but I’m sure there are worse cops,” she added with a wink.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Very very major Broadchurch spoilers for both seasons. If you've seen the show or don't mind spoilers, read on.

“Ellie, this was lovely,” Rose said, hugging her new friend. “As soon as I’m settled I’d love to have you all over and return the favor.”

Ellie beamed. “You’re welcome anytime, Rose. And Alec, any time you can be arsed to come around you’re welcome as well,” she said pointedly. Hardy rolled his eyes, pretending to be annoyed. Rose felt a pang in her heart, but it was duller than she had expected.

“Thanks, Miller.”

They said their goodbyes and Ellie retreated back into the house. Rose checked her phone as she followed DI Hardy back to his car and suddenly remembered something.

“Alec,” she called ahead of her. She considered the taste of the name, knowing that it truly was his name and not some sort of ruse. “Do you mind if we run over to my house for a moment? The realtor said she’s left some papers in there for me to sign, I’d completely forgotten.”

Hardy turned lazily on his heel, shoving his keys back into his trousers. “May as well,” he acquiesced with a shrug. She walked over to the neighboring house, quickly called her voicemail to retrieve the code for the lockbox. She grimaced as she skipped the messages from her parents again.

Alec followed her into the house, where she led him back to the kitchen, flicking light switches along the way. Rose picked the papers up from the island counter and flipped through them, pretending she cared what was written there but knowing that Pete would already have taken care of all that. She set them down and moved to sign them before realizing that she didn’t have a writing utensil.

“Er – do you happen to have a pen?” She reached in her purse to see if she’d shoved one in there at some point. Hardy looked bemused, but pulled one out of a pocket.

“So you carry stethoscopes, but not pens?” he asked, a smirk forming. She glared at him playfully as she nabbed the pen from his hand and turned back to the papers, momentarily forgetting her disappointment.

“It’s been months since I’ve used this bag, how could I have remembered that Shireen had left her stethoscope?” she asked with a laugh, signing and dating several sheets. “I didn’t notice it was in there until we were in the car.” She was grateful she’d thought of these excuses earlier; her plan may have been hasty and relied a good amount of creative conversation making – or, as it turned out, luck – but at least it was something that resembled thorough.

“And you just decided to give your friend’s medical instrument to a three-year-old?” Rose thanked the powers that be that her hair was covering her ears, because she could feel the tips of them redden. This was not something she’d prepared for. Actually, she hadn’t thought much past the part where she listened to Hardy’s heartbeats; she figured she’d be too busy yelling at the Doctor.

“Er, nearly,” was all she managed to choke out as she searched her brain for an explanation, still signing documents resolutely.

Alec blinked. “Nearly?”

Rose signed the last page with a flourish as the wheels in her head spun. She turned to Alec and put on a winning smile. “Fred’s nearly three. And what does Shireen need with a stethoscope she lost months ago? She’s got a new one. Plus, it’s not like she lives in the neighborhood,” she added with a laugh, gesturing around her.

Alec shrugged and nodded, clearly still amused by her.

She leaned back against the island, ankles crossed. “What, you didn’t enjoy playing stethoscope, Uncle Alec?” she asked with a grin, her tongue peaking through her teeth.

He shrugged again. “It’s cute enough the first time, but he kept coming ‘round. My heart isn’t changing that much.” He scoffed, but his eyes were still light, and Rose knew he was doing that thing where he pretended to be bothered.

“You’re pretty good with him though. And Tom, too,” she said earnestly.

Alec let himself lean back against the counter, mirroring her position. “Ah well. After everything that’s happened, I feel the extra burden of being a positive influence.” His tone was nonchalant, but the grin that had been threatening to form on his face had left and his posture had shifted ever so slightly.

“And what would that be?” Rose asked curiously after a beat had passed, her eyebrows knitted.

Hardy looked up, his eyes narrowed slightly in confusion. “Don’t you know?”

“Would I have asked?” she replied, trying to keep the sarcasm from dripping quite as heavily as it normally would.

He cleared his throat. “It’s just it was, er, sort of national news, wasn’t it? Danny Latimer?” Rose’s face was still scrunched in the same inquisitive expression. “Worst cop in Britain?” he asked, gesturing to himself.

“Well that seems unfair,” she said, still not showing signs of recognition. “Your interrogation technique was a little wanting, but I’m sure there are worse cops,” she added with a wink.

A corner of Hardy’s lip tugged upwards, but he shook his head and frowned again. “You missed the entire Daniel Latimer case? It went on for months! It was all over the telly, and not for lack of me trying to get rid of those bloody reporters.” She couldn’t tell if he was angry, incredulous, or just confused. Maybe all three.

“Well, uh, I did mention that I used to work a lot. You know, this morning. Four years of 80-hour weeks? Didn’t really watch much telly.” Rose shrugged.

Alec squeezed his eyes shut and pinched the bridge of his nose. He took a deep breath before looking up at her. “Last year, just after I’d moved here, an 11-year-old boy was murdered. Danny Latimer. He was Tom’s best friend.” Rose’s expression quickly switched from confused to horrified. Briefly, her thoughts flashed to Helmia. She pushed it away as Alec continued. “The investigation dragged on for months, it was miserable. This town was miserable. Everyone hated everyone. We had some leads, but most of them dried up. Half the town was a suspect at one point or the other.”

“But you found them?” Rose asked, her questions barely a whisper.

Alec nodded, folding his arms over his chest and looking down. With difficulty, he answered. “Joe Miller. Ellie’s husband.”

Rose sucked in a breath. “That’s- that’s- How horrible for her,” Rose gasped. “And here she is, so sweet and friendly and raising those two boys… She must be very strong,” she said reverently.

Alec had an odd look on his face as he surveyed her.

“What?” she asked, suddenly self-conscious.

“You just… you didn’t ask why he did it,” he said flatly.

“Um. Should I have?”

“Well, no. S’pose it’s not polite. But everyone does. And you just went straight to how wonderful Ellie is.” Rose got a strange feeling in her gut, and recognized it from when he’d mentioned her observation skills in the interrogation room that morning: she was fairly sure she’d just been complimented.

“Well, I didn’t know her husband. Maybe he was always a nutter.” Rose said earnestly. “But Ellie’s so warm, I don’t know how she does it.”

Alec blinked, not quite sure what to make of her. “Yes, well…” Alec began again. “He confessed. Turned on the boy’s phone and I apprehended him. But then he entered a plea of not guilty. The defense got the confession ousted because… because of a mistake that was made. The trial went sideways. And he was found not guilty.”

Rose’s look of concern quickly swept into outrage and she pushed off of the counter she’d been leaning on to stand up straight.

“Are you telling me that this man _confessed_ to killing an 11-year-old child and he was _released_?”

Alec nodded, suddenly a bit scared of the small blonde girl. Her eyes had darkened and her face hardened, and he found himself wondering what kind of things she had faced in her covert government job.

“We all, er, felt similarly,” he continued, keeping an eye on her as she deflated. “So the town banded together and banished him.” Rose seemed to relax, slowly leaning back onto the kitchen island. “Ellie led it. It was brilliant, really.” A small smile graced his face. 

Rose couldn’t help but stare for a moment. She’d proven earlier that he couldn’t be the Doctor – no fob watch, no two hearts, no other possibilities she was aware of – but this was the first moment she’d really accepted it. His quiet respect for his friend, and the way he’d said ‘brilliant’ just… wasn’t the Doctor.

The Doctor would have been gleeful – inappropriately so, given the topic of discussion – and brimming with pride for his friend. He was boastful of himself, and even more so of his friends. Rose could almost picture it. “Rose you wouldn’t have _believed_ it. She was brilliant. Brilliant! You’ve never seen anything like Ellie Miller telling her murderous ex-husband to shove it. _Molto bene!_ ”

Alec was reserved. He seemed almost reluctant to be proud of her, as if having a friend was a burden. It was like when he pretended to be irritated about things that he obviously enjoyed.

She blinked. A parallel universe thing, then. Or… whatever. Spatial genetic multiplicity. That sounded like something the Doctor would say before going on a five-minute rant about probability.

Whatever the explanation, Alec Hardy was not the Doctor.

Rose was surprised at the peace that seemed to wash over her. There was pain, too – an ache that had been with her since she’d been left standing on a beach in Norway. It was like she was missing a piece of herself: a third arm sprouting out of her left hand and forming a body of its own in the shape of her best friend. The ache had largely dulled over the past four years, though Rose’s realization made it feel like a fresh wound again. The fingers of her left hand twitched, expecting a large slender hand to slide into them.

Yes, there was pain; but with it came a sweeping sense of calm, replacing the hysteria that had been building inside of her for the past day. Alec Hardy was not the Doctor, but that was not his fault. Nor was it Rose’s. It was simply the truth.

Rose was snapped out of her epiphany by Hardy clearing his throat awkwardly, and she realized that she had completely zoned out. Alec’s soft smile had melted away as he watched her curiously.

“Er – sorry. I was just, um, imagining it,” she said bashfully, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. She smiled up at him gently, gathering herself. “It seems that we are quite lucky to have her as a friend.”

Alec nodded in agreement. “That we are. Now if you’re, uh, ready to go,” he said, gesturing toward the door and pretending he didn’t feel uncomfortable.

Rose smiled and they made their way back out to his car. The ride home was significantly more pleasant than the ride to Ellie’s had been, with Alec feeling confident enough to contribute to the conversation occasionally. Rose stuck to small talk to avoid becoming even more emotionally exhausted.

She was surprised when Alec insisted on walking her into the hotel – “Miller would have my head if she heard I just dropped you on the side of the road.” – but allowed it.

“No offense, DI Hardy, but you seem rather scared of your DS,” Rose teased as they strolled into the hotel.

“Well she once threatened to, verbatim, ‘piss in a cup and throw it at me’, so I feel I have every right to be wary,” he answered dryly, making Rose laugh.

“You make a valid point,” she conceded through her giggles.

She noticed that her companion had slowed his pace as they walked through the lobby, so she looked back at him and found him watching her, his expression inquisitive.

“What?” she asked, turning to face him fully.

He paused, deciding whether or not to say what was on his mind. “Would you like to get a drink before heading back to your room?” he asked, gesturing to the hotel bar.

Rose heard it before he did. She raised one eyebrow, trying – and failing – to keep a grin from spreading over her face. "Bit forward, don't you think, Detective Inspector?"

Alec blinked, and it registered. “Er, before _you_ head back to your room. Alone. Obviously.” His face flushed red and he shoved his hands in his pockets, suddenly avoiding her gaze and shuffling back and forth between his feet.

Rose’s grin spread even wider at his obvious discomfort, her tongue poking through her teeth as she let out a laugh.

The word ‘yes’ bubbled in her throat, surprising her. Did she want to get a drink with him? Was it really appropriate given… everything?

She swallowed the word down and gave him a regretful smile as her laughs died away. “It’ll have to be another time, as I’m quite tired. It’s been a pretty long day, you know; I was even interrogated by the police this morning!” she added with a wink.

Alec nodded, clearly still quite embarrassed. “Well I hope you enjoyed your evening, Miss Tyler,” he said, trying to sound upbeat.

“You can call me Rose,” she corrected. “And it was lovely. Thank you for the ride and have a good night, Detective Inspector,” she nodded and beamed at him before disappearing down the hallway to her room.

She changed into her pajamas and replayed the events of the day in her mind, from meeting the DI in the morning to discovering he was not the Doctor to almost agreeing to have a nightcap with him. When she crawled into bed she checked her phone and found a single new text message waiting:

_You can call me Alec._


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose considered the reactions of her friends and family and felt her gut clench. The one thing she knew they would all have in common was an utter lack of the ability to let it go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry everyone, my month-long hiatus went about a month longer than I anticipated. This chapter is a little shorter than I like them and I'm also not super happy with the conclusion but if I'm ever going to start updating again I really just needed to post something so here it is.
> 
> The next month will also likely be slow on updates... Once I get back to school in late August my schedule should normalize a bit more and I should have a lot more free time to write with so I hope you'll bear with me! I'm definitely not abandoning this fic.

Rose had bad dreams that night.

She’d gone to bed clutching her phone, the screen glowing dimly and a hint of a smile on her face, and woken up crying and panting and sweating.

The first dream was more of a memory: a perfect reenactment of that night on Helmia, complete with dead children, no precious metal, and the shutdown of the Dimension Cannon project. She woke quietly, her eyes moist and dark, her jaw clenched. She rolled over to go back to sleep.

In the second dream, she was falling. Her arms flailed widely for something to hold onto as she plummeted across the room until she hit something, disappeared in a flash, and suddenly found herself staring at a large, white wall. She woke in a cold sweat, sheets tangled around her legs and pillows soaked from her soft tears. This dream was a familiar one. It never got any easier.

The last dream was the worst. It started like the first: sneaking around a basement on a different planet. The main difference was that after her gun had gone off and three small bodies had thumped to the floor, she turned to see the Doctor across the room: his face was long, his eyebrows knitted in disappointment. He shook his head softly and turned away. She chased after him, but a wall rose between them. A large, white wall that grew until it was the only thing she could see. Her sobbing wrenched her from sleep. 

She cried until she physically could not anymore, and then checked the clock to see she had barely beaten the sunrise.

She hadn’t woken up in tears since before the Cannon was abandoned. The nightmares had left her alone, presumably because she had been too busy ignoring all human emotions and responsibilities to be bothered by things like tragedy and grief and post-traumatic stress disorder. It seemed as though this was a luxury she would no longer be afforded.

Rose wiped her eyes and got up.

After attempting her morning run, Rose took an excessively long shower during which she wrung out all the leftover tears with her hair and put on a mask of bravery with which to face the day.

When she was dry and dressed, she ordered breakfast to the room and begrudgingly began making her way through the missed calls she had been ignoring.

She started with Mickey who had, as expected, called to berate her for drawing the notice of the local constabulary.

“Honestly Rose, you were in town less than twenty-four hours, what on Earth did you get yourself into?” he asked, barely concealing his laughter. “Or, more likely with you, what not-on-Earth?”

Rose smiled and rolled her eyes, a gesture that he could sense through the phone. “It was honestly nothing, Micks. They saw me on CCTV talking to a bloke who later went on to shoot up a bar. I’m just a run-of-the-mill witness to a crime. Hopefully they’ll catch him soon,” she added as an afterthought.

“Do all run-of-the-mill witnesses attract enough attention to have their job history checked up on?” he asked dryly.

“Honestly, I think I just peaked the Detective Inspector’s interest when I told him my job was classified,” she said, her smile widening as she thought of the incredulous look Hardy had given her. “Honestly, Mick, you wouldn’t believe this DI. He –“ Rose cut herself off, wondering exactly where she was going with that sentence. Well, she knew where it was going: He looks exactly like the Doctor. What she didn’t know was whether telling Mickey – or anyone – about that was a good idea.

Mickey would probably worry. He’d laugh and tell her she was being daft, but he’d be concerned, assuming that she was just… compensating, or something. Seeing him because she wanted to. He’d worry, and he’d feel sorry for her.

Jake would, cheerfully but very straightforwardly, inform her that she was a lunatic. And then he would tell her to move on.

Pete would be grave about it. He’d worry, like Mickey, but it would be a darker sort of worry. He’d want her to talk to a therapist, or go back home to London, or move somewhere else entirely. He’d want to protect her and shield her, but his distress would be deep.

Jackie would, to put it mildly, freak out. She’d probably be in Broadchurch by lunch if she thought the Doctor or his doppelganger were in the same city as her daughter. There would be a lot of yelling, and probably a slap or two. Rose winced at the thought.

She could show them his picture – she’d Googled ‘Danny Latimer’ and found that DI Hardy was all over the internet. He hadn’t been kidding about the whole ‘worst cop in Britain’ bit. But would proof make it better or worse?

Rose considered the reactions of her friends and family and felt her gut clench. The one thing she knew they would all have in common was an utter lack of the ability to let it go.

Realizing that Alec was not the Doctor had brought Rose to a strange level of acceptance. She’d spent every waking moment for four years trying to get back to him, only to have that hope dashed. Meeting Alec Hardy reignited a small, manic optimism that she might someday have her Doctor back, but when she found out she was wrong the world didn’t end as she’d feared. Rose couldn’t control her nightmares, but at least she didn’t collapse, or cry, or rage at the loss while she was awake; she’d done enough of that since being stuck on a beach in Norway. Instead, she just sort of… deflated. Not far enough to lose herself, but enough so that she could move forward.

Mickey and Jake and her parents would never be able to believe that she’d simply met Alec Hardy, decided he was not the Doctor, and moved on with her life. They’d question her, ask if she was okay, try to find out more about him, try to convince her to come home… All with the best of intentions, of course, but was that what she wanted?

“He, um,” Rose continued, hoping not too much time had passed. Mickey hadn’t started calling her name over the phone, so that was a good sign. “He’s a real piece of work,” she finished lamely.

“…Sounds like it,” Mickey responded in a voice that Rose knew was accompanied by his ‘you’re-a-crazy-person’ look, signifying that she’d been silent for slightly too long.

“Well anyway, Mickey, thanks for fielding that call. I should call Mum, she’s probably already convinced that I’m dead in a ditch somewhere since I didn't call her back yesterday.” Mickey seemed confused at Rose’s haste to end the call but they said their goodbyes and she hung up.

The call screen on her phone closed and revealed the last screen she’d had open: a text message from a certain detective. She smiled at it but closed it quickly and navigated to her contacts.

She hadn’t responded to his text. She wasn’t totally sure what to say. It was a clear sign that he was warming up to her – as though asking her for a drink wasn’t a clear enough sign – and it made her feel a little bit warm in the pit of her stomach. That warmth in turn made her feel awkward and guilty.

Everything she could think to say back would easily convey interest on her part, and that’s not somewhere she was willing to go yet. Yet? At all. Right?

Rose shook her head, trying the throw Alec Hardy from her mind. She was not fully successful, but she decided to distract herself with a much-dreaded phone call to Jackie Tyler.

Predictably, her mother spent the first several minutes admonishing her for not responding in a timely fashion. Every time Rose attempted to intervene, she only made it worse.

“Sorry, Mum, I sort of witnessed a crime here the other night and was taken in for questioning-”

“How did you get into trouble on the coast, Rose? We sent you to Dorset! You’re supposed to be resting until you’re ready to go back to work and here you are, witnessing crimes. Knowing you, this is something alien, you mark my words. Oh, gods. Pete! PETE! We need to convince her to come home, this was a mistake. She’s gone five minutes and she finds more aliens to fight. Honestly I’ve never seen anything like it! She’s like a magnet for trouble!”

Rose couldn’t quite suppress a smile; ‘magnet for trouble’ brought back images of her first Doctor, with his leather jacket and his jumpers. _“I’ve travelled with a lot of people, but you’re setting new records for jeopardy friendly.”_

“Mum, honestly, nothing alien here, I promise. Just some nutter who got his hands on a gun. There’s nothing to worry about, it just held me up for a day.”

Jackie rambled on for several more minutes, unconvinced that Rose wasn’t putting herself in unnecessary danger by randomly happening across some crazy person. Rose put the phone on speaker so she could half-ignore it as she pulled open her laptop and started looking at the furniture links her mum had sent her (in twelve separate e-mails over the course of five hours the day before). She also took a minute to shoot an e-mail to Peggy to let her know that the papers for the house had been signed. The realtor responded nearly immediately to let her know that she’d push it through.

Eventually, Pete wrestled the phone away from his increasingly hysterical wife. “Ignore your mother,” he said in an even tone – almost bored, as though he’d been listening to this rant for the past 24 hours. Which, Rose conceded, was likely. “Did you sign those papers for the house? Peggy called yesterday,” he asked.

“Yup, dropped by last night,” she responded, grabbing the phone and turning off speaker mode. “Everything seemed in order,” she told him, scrolling through the next link. “Peggy e-mailed me and said I can move in next Tuesday.”

“Excellent. Heard you had a run-in with the police?” he asked casually.

Rose sighed, but explained herself again.

“Ah, well, nothing too pressing, then,” he said, giving her the first reasonable reaction to the whole ordeal. “You should’ve heard Mickey when he called though. He couldn’t even get out the news through his laughter.”

Rose groaned. “I know, he was nearly crying on the phone with me this morning. Still, better Mickey than Jake… He would never let it go.”

Pete chuckled. “Oh, I’m pretty sure word got around. Don’t be surprised if you get a call.” Rose groaned again. “Anyway, Jacks wants the phone back. Pick out your furniture and schedule your deliveries. Once you’re mostly moved in we can send the rest of your things. Have fun, love.”

“Thanks, Pete,” she said warmly.

With that, he handed the phone back over to her mother and they began their furniture shopping.

As could be expected, Jackie was rather opinionated. Rose did her best to talk her down from the crazier ideas – “Mum, I don’t own any China, why would I need a China hutch?” – but was content to let her mother make most of the decisions, within reason. By lunchtime, an entire house’s worth of furniture had been ordered to the satisfaction of both Rose and Jackie.

Rose managed to get off the phone with only a small amount of additional scolding for not immediately responding to calls, and finally hung up with a relieved press of a button.

She let herself slump onto her laptop briefly, willing herself to go on with her day. Finally, she pulled herself up and decided she should get lunch. On her way out the door, she decided she could use some company and pulled out her phone to ring her future neighbor.


End file.
